I think you should go carbon if you dont mind spending the extra funds. The TB is Santa Cruz's all time most popular frame. Out of all the many carbon TB's sold a few have had issues, that is just the statistical laws of any popular item. Main thing is that they are not known for any significant or regular failures.

Im sure the Alu version rides well but its the stiffness of the carbon that I really love, Carbon IMO

Here's the kicker. The LBS has the 2011 and 2012 TBc. They have the 2012 TBc marked down by 10% (I think it's a mistake) but if they can honor that price then I just may pull the trigger on Tuesday...

I am 6'2" and 195lbs. I race xc and endurance. I suck at both. I am also a weight weenie wherever possible and I like top of the line stuff. I love carbon fiber. I work at a shop part time for kicks and I just generally like to ride bikes. I am not a hucker.

So that's my riding style.

I rode the Tallboy when it initially came out. It had a 100mm Fox 32 on the front and I was able to ride it for about a week so I had plenty of time to really get it set up right. I liked the bike. A lot. It rode well and was a quick climber. I did not like how much pedal feedback I got. It was a triple chainring, maybe it would be different with 2x10?

I have a good friend who owns a pimped out Jet 9. I steal it whenever I can. It is one of the best riding bikes I have ever had the pleasure of throwing a leg over. For only having 80mm's of rear travel it feels like much more. That said, it never feels balanced with the front, a 100mm Reba. This is probably the best endurance bike I've ever ridden. Love it. On that, the RDO is god awful ugly. I know, function over form and blah blah blah but the bike is horrible.

I have recently been riding a Giant Anthem X 29er. The bike is heavy and I can feel it when I lift it out of my truck. When I'm riding it though, the weight disappears. This is odd to me, because I spend so much on making bikes lighter. The rear suspension is weird in that it feels so stiff on fireroads and other tough climbs. Yet it soaks hits up right away. The bike is running a Rock Shox Monarch rear shock with a gate on it and it seems to work well. I do realize that any bike can and will benefit from this but the other two bikes were using Fox RP23's which I am very familiar with and know how to use.

Back to back, I would choose the Maestro over the CVA and both over the VPP. Now that the Anthem comes in carbon, I'm thrilled. Mine is ordered and should be here soon.

Wow thanks for the feedback. I've been on the fence on purchasing the TBc vs TB. I'm a big boy like 270 Lbs (NFL size) and I rented a TallBoy aluminum today. Really dig the bike and suits me fine. I understand the carbon advantages and I'm sure if I got one it would treat me fine. Sure I may have the same issues as you (not sure if I will run lot of post) and if I have to take the risk of repairing it in a few years then I gotta deal with it then should I make the purchase soon. I know aluminum and steel as that is all my previous bikes so I can't rule out the aluminum TB. But I do understand people say the ride is a bit different on the CF frames with impact. I don't race and ride on the weekends and really don't think the lighter weight will make a difference (I could be totally wrong) but should I get the TBc or the TB I'm sure I'll be stoked!!!

Ok here is my 2 c ( I'm not a Tallboy fan) but if you were going to go that way at your size I would look more towards bikes like the Tallboy LT or the Niner Rip9, They are made to be a little stronger & take a bit more of a beating & the extra travel will sock up your weight better in the ruff.

Ok here is my 2 c ( I'm not a Tallboy fan) but if you were going to go that way at your size I would look more towards bikes like the Tallboy LT or the Niner Rip9, They are made to be a little stronger & take a bit more of a beating & the extra travel will sock up your weight better in the ruff.

Cool, thanks for your input. I found a dealer in town that demos the RIP9 so I'll give that an oppurtunuty and see how that compares to the TB. The cool thing is the LBS will have a TBLT built this week so it will give me a chance to see how it feels by riding in the parking lot but the TB was nice to ride in the hills and through the rock gardens. It should be interesting to see how the RIP9 rides.

tallboy

Yeah, please unpack this more. In what way? What time did you spend on a Tallboy Carbon and what riding did you do on it?

I have both, the Anthem is a exceptional bike as is the Tallboy, for me so far the Tallboy feels like a pair of your favorite freestyle skis, its twitchy and quick and the 4'' of travel its got feels just like 4''. The Anthem's 4'' feels like 5 or more, it floats over stuff like a tuned desert race truck, it carves turns like down hill skis, I think thats a result of the 18.2 CS and the longer TT 23.4 compared to 23 on the med size. If speed is what your looking for the anthem inspires high confidence and if I were to enter the Leadville 100 it's the bike I would choose. If you really like to feel your bike under you the Tallboy takes the award, the carbon frame frame feels more resistant to flex and the suspension just feels tighter and less compliant to small bumps. They both pedal like champs. I really like both and can't decide on either one,so far the Giant for comfort and speed, the Tallboy for fun and tight single track and agility. Oh, this is not a pissin contest between forum members, these are my bikes and my opinion of my personal bikes only.

I have both, the Anthem is a exceptional bike as is the Tallboy, for me so far the Tallboy feels like a pair of your favorite freestyle skis, its twitchy and quick and the 4'' of travel its got feels just like 4''. The Anthem's 4'' feels like 5 or more, it floats over stuff like a tuned desert race truck, it carves turns like down hill skis, I think thats a result of the 18.2 CS and the longer TT 23.4 compared to 23 on the med size. If speed is what your looking for the anthem inspires high confidence and if I were to enter the Leadville 100 it's the bike I would choose. If you really like to feel your bike under you the Tallboy takes the award, the carbon frame frame feels more resistant to flex and the suspension just feels tighter and less compliant to small bumps. They both pedal like champs. I really like both and can't decide on either one,so far the Giant for comfort and speed, the Tallboy for fun and tight single track and agility. Oh, this is not a pissin contest between forum members, these are my bikes and my opinion of my personal bikes only.

Very good and honest opinion. I can tell its hard to describe each one. How nice it must be to own both. Which one do you find yourself riding the most?

Test rode an X29 1 Anthem back in 2011. I liked it a lot. The suspension felt great, however the handlebars and seat were terrible. I also felt the large frame (6'2" 36" inseam) was a little small. I tried my friend's Tallboy carbon and was more impressed overall; especially in the real twisty single-track trails in my area. Problem was the Tallboy was over a thousand more. The Anthem came with boat anchor wheels so that would've been a pretty expensive upgrade to get in more in line with the Tallboy. I ended up buying a Tallboy frame from the LBS. They helped me build the bike up with XT/XTR components, Fox F29 fork, carbon bars, Haven alloy wheels. The bike weighed 25.7 lbs. in an XL. I've been really happy with it ever since. Too bad the Niner dealer sucks in my area, never got a chance to try one out.

A buddy needed a good bike for Leadville. We searched around and found some good prices on 2011 anthems, so we went that route. The Leadville build (with AC Race wheels, SID fork, Furious Fred tires, egg beaters, etc.) should come in around 23.8 lbs. The build will only cost about $3K (I have some good components he can have). So, best bang for buck, in my opinion, is the Anthem. The newer X0 version is an excellent deal. The Niner and Tallboy are a bit lighter and represent a slight upgrade. Still, can't go wrong with any of these bikes; just make sure the one you get fits properly.

since people seem to be posting other comparisons on here....
i am thinkin Tallboy Carbon vs. Rocky Mountain Element 950 (i know big price diff). what attracts me about the RM 950 is the adjustable from shock from 100-120mm, whereas the TBc only comes in 100mm. is it worth trying to swap out the front fork for a 120mm fork in the TBc? or should i bank the savings on the RM and upgrade tires / rims to tubeless?

Test rode an X29 1 Anthem back in 2011. I liked it a lot. The suspension felt great, however the handlebars and seat were terrible.

i felt the same, i tested out a anthem x1 29er this year, and i found the seat felt like cardboard, and the bars / cockpit position seemed so agressive compared to the tallboy i tested back to back. prices are as follows:

Test rode an X29 1 Anthem back in 2011. I liked it a lot. The suspension felt great, however the handlebars and seat were terrible.

I see what your saying but handle bars and seat are not a reflection of the frame characteristics since they are both easily replaceable.

On another note, I talked to my LBS thats a giant dealer today hoping to get a test ride on an Anthem X... here's how that went...

me: "Hi, you guys are a giant dealer right?"
LBS: "No not anymore"
me: "Oh, it said you were on your website"
LBS: "Yeah I know, but we dropped Giant from our line a bit back. What were you looking for?"
me: "I was interested to check out/test ride an Anthem X 29er"
LBS: "Ahh a 29er huh?... Well we sell Trek and Gary Fisher 29ers..."
me: "So you only exclusively dealTrek now?"
LBS: "No. we sell Gary Fisher also... and if your interested in a 29er there is no other option to consider. Gary Fisher is the one who invented the 29er and perfected it, no one else makes one to even consider"
me: "Right...... So your selling off your old discontinued stock of Gary Fishers? or your selling the Trek GF signature line?"
LBS: "I just said we sell Gary Fisher. We dropped Giant because the value that Trek offers Giant just cant hold a flame to. Trust me you dont want to ride a Giant, Trek is a far better bike"
me: "Right... thats all pretty interesting... Do you have any Fisher 29ers in your showroom?"
LBS: "No we dont, but I can order them and literally have one in like 3-4 days no problem. No one is really riding 29ers so there is no real demand for them and so we dont keep them in stock. Im not saying they are bad bikes but Id just have to special order you one"
me: "Right, thats okay, well good luck with that..."

Oh, the point I was trying to make on the crap handlebars and seat was that would've been another upgrade I would've had to do immediately. So, the extra cost of the Tallboy was not as bad as I first calculated. Also, yes, many LBSs suck hootis. Amazing the crap they usually spew. Sounds like my local Niner dealer.

since people seem to be posting other comparisons on here....
i am thinkin Tallboy Carbon vs. Rocky Mountain Element 950 (i know big price diff). what attracts me about the RM 950 is the adjustable from shock from 100-120mm, whereas the TBc only comes in 100mm. is it worth trying to swap out the front fork for a 120mm fork in the TBc? or should i bank the savings on the RM and upgrade tires / rims to tubeless?

LBS: "No. we sell Gary Fisher also... and if your interested in a 29er there is no other option to consider. Gary Fisher is the one who invented the 29er and perfected it, no one else makes one to even consider"

LBS: "No we dont, but I can order them and literally have one in like 3-4 days no problem. No one is really riding 29ers so there is no real demand for them and so we dont keep them in stock. Im not saying they are bad bikes but Id just have to special order you one"
me: "Right, thats okay, well good luck with that..."

And people wonder why I've always built my own bikes LOL...

No one is really riding 29ers? No real demand for them? No one else makes a 29er good enough to consider? Are they serious? I'm with you, good luck with that! They'll be closed soon. I bet Giant pulled out from this shop because they are idiots and not because they (the shop) decided to stop carrying them.

Anyway, yeah, the Tallboy is available with 120mm Fox shock if you don't want a 100mm.

No one is really riding 29ers? No real demand for them? No one else makes a 29er good enough to consider? Are they serious? I'm with you, good luck with that! They'll be closed soon. I bet Giant pulled out from this shop because they are idiots and not because they (the shop) decided to stop carrying them.

Anyway, yeah, the Tallboy is available with 120mm Fox shock if you don't want a 100mm.

Ha yeah... its pretty sad today how out of touch the LBS seem to be (at least in my area) I know they all cant be that bad...

They only have 1 brand to carry and worry about (Trek) and the guy didn't even have a clue the difference between old Fishers and the Trek signature series Fisher...

well the spx tallboy carbon is like 7500 bucks... i dont wanna upgrade to that vs. a 3300 RM element 950.. .both look seriously badass.. both bike shops that carry the tallboy and RM dont do demos so no shot i can get out on the trails... but the TBc felt great in the cockpit when i was riding up a steep road near the shop.. i was only able to ride the RM around a flat parkinglot.. so not a lot to get a feel... my main concern w/ the rocky is that the clearance on the rear tire isnt enough... ive read reviews that theres no way to put a beefier tire there since it would hit the front derailleur... has anyone had this problem? has anyone ridden a RM element on the trail and a TBc that could give a comparison? cockpit feel? aggressiveness?

well the spx tallboy carbon is like 7500 bucks... i dont wanna upgrade to that vs. a 3300 RM element 950.. .both look seriously badass.. both bike shops that carry the tallboy and RM dont do demos so no shot i can get out on the trails... but the TBc felt great in the cockpit when i was riding up a steep road near the shop.. i was only able to ride the RM around a flat parkinglot.. so not a lot to get a feel... my main concern w/ the rocky is that the clearance on the rear tire isnt enough... ive read reviews that theres no way to put a beefier tire there since it would hit the front derailleur... has anyone had this problem? has anyone ridden a RM element on the trail and a TBc that could give a comparison? cockpit feel? aggressiveness?

and re: the x-giant dealer... never go back.. sounds like an absurd place.. thats what turns me off about RM.. the dealer i went to (skiis and biikes in Toronto), the guy there had NO idea what the 29er was like.. could only give me "the guys in the shop say this bike rocks"... riiiight.

then when i go to the dealer w/ the TBc, they obviously dismiss RM outright as a boutique brand, say its overvalued for what you get. i mean to me this is rational, as why would they upsell a bike they dont carry, its just a turn-off to hear blatant dismissals like that... instead of some ACTUAL reason why they arent as good or why the tallboy / anthem x (both of which they carry) is better.

sorry i was looking at the xtr version, obv. not getting that... still .. i was looking at 4099 for the TBc without the 120mm.. doesnt seem worth the 1000 bucks extra to get a 120mm fork (and some better components)... vs. 3299 for the 120mm adjustable susp on the RM element... im just worried the element isnt a tried and tested bike.. my bro has an element msl 26er and i know its not hte manufacturer, but his shifters keep blowing apart.. i can't help but think it might be the design / position of the deraillieurs that is causing this, at least in part?

and re: the x-giant dealer... never go back.. sounds like an absurd place.. thats what turns me off about RM.. the dealer i went to (skiis and biikes in Toronto), the guy there had NO idea what the 29er was like.. could only give me "the guys in the shop say this bike rocks"... riiiight.

then when i go to the dealer w/ the TBc, they obviously dismiss RM outright as a boutique brand, say its overvalued for what you get. i mean to me this is rational, as why would they upsell a bike they dont carry, its just a turn-off to hear blatant dismissals like that... instead of some ACTUAL reason why they arent as good or why the tallboy / anthem x (both of which they carry) is better.

It seems tobe what bike shop people do when they just don't know the answer & don't want to get caught out.

sorry i was looking at the xtr version, obv. not getting that... still .. i was looking at 4099 for the TBc without the 120mm.. doesnt seem worth the 1000 bucks extra to get a 120mm fork (and some better components)... vs. 3299 for the 120mm adjustable susp on the RM element... im just worried the element isnt a tried and tested bike.. my bro has an element msl 26er and i know its not hte manufacturer, but his shifters keep blowing apart.. i can't help but think it might be the design / position of the deraillieurs that is causing this, at least in part?

Hey if you like that SPX spec build (the $5099 one), just to let you know Im considering selling mine... Its like new, and my personal build spec puts that one to shame... and less bills.

A bit late to the party, but I finally got a chance to test ride the Tallboy Carbon. I did a 3 hour ride in the Santa Cruz
mountains (Skeggs).

I own a Jet 9 RDO (1st gen) and I have always been curious about the Tallboy.

The Tallboy was setup all XT, with a Talas Kashima fork and WTB wheels.

My Jet 9 is setup all XX including a Reba XX, but with XTR brakes (which I love), and I9/355 wheels.

The Tallboy road quite nicely and looked pretty in Black/Red accents.

Rear suspension was better than expected (not too much bob, no brake jack, somewhat active on bumps, good depth on landing small jumps), but I think I slightly prefer the RDO rear suspension, maybe because of setup. Mine feels better on small bumps, yet, it seems to have more anti-squat when climbing in small chainring.

The overall bike felt solid, with no rattles or loose parts feeling.

A few things bothered me, but I think it has to do with dialing the fit of a rental compared to my own bike.

I felt perched high on the bike compared to mine and I felt a bit cramped length wise, despite riding also a Large and a longer stem on the Tallboy. I feel low and long on my RDO. (I am also a roady so I like to be stretched out a bit)

This led to some stability issues for me on the Tallboy.

Tight switch backs were difficult to negotiate and when feathering the brakes in the turn, it felt a bit flexy, despite my feather-light 150lbs weight. Not sure what was flexing. I doubt it was the frame.

On the positive side, the finish on the on the carbon was flawless, and the it felt solid.

I am a firm believer that it is quite hard to isolate the frame in these reviews, unless it would have the exact same build, same tire and suspension setup, same fit and ridden back to back on same trail. So take these comments with a
grain of salt.

But on the big picture, I left the trail happy to have finally tried the Tallboy. It is a very nice bike, but I don't have any desire to change my RDO for a Tallboy.